From the Jackson 5 to Thriller, test your knowledge of the King of Pop with 20 questions on Michael Jackson's life, music, and legacy.
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Michael Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958, rose from the youngest lead singer of the Jackson 5 to become the most influential pop performer of the 20th century. By the time he was a teenager, he had already topped the Billboard Hot 100 four times with his brothers on Motown, before reinventing himself as a solo artist with the help of producer Quincy Jones.
His 1982 album Thriller sold roughly 70 million copies worldwide and won a then-record eight Grammy Awards in a single night. Its title video, directed by John Landis, redefined the music video as cinematic art, while singles like Billie Jean broke down racial barriers on MTV. He kept pushing the form forward — the Bad album in 1987 became the first ever to send five singles to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and projects from Captain EO to HIStory in 1995 showed his appetite for spectacle.
From the moonwalk debut at Motown 25 to the unfinished This Is It residency at The O2 Arena in 2009, his story is full of records, reinventions, and indelible images. How many of those moments do you actually remember? Step into the spotlight and find out.